And you know what that means: Conference play starts this Friday night. We have a ton of great games on tap, including a pair of Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference contests and the Ohio Cardinal Conference gets started.

Let's take a look at this week's matchups.

North Union (3-0) at Clear Fork (3-0)

The Colts host North Union in a battle of MOAC heavyweights right off the rip. The Colts are the most balanced team in the area. For the second time this season, the Colts didn't have a player reach more than 100 yards individually in their 49-10 win over Jonathan Alder. Clear Fork plays team football and it is working out so far. The Colts are averaging 50.6 points per game on offense and are giving up 7.3 on defense. They have so many weapons all over the field and are using an interesting two-quarterback system with Jared Schaefer and Brennan South under center. Trevon Trammell is a dominating running back while Caden Flyn, Zach Homerick and Collin Crider make plays all over the field. This could set the tone in the MOAC.

Mansfield Senior (2-1) at West Holmes (3-0)

A return home in Week 3 may have been just what the Tygers needed to find their groove. After a disappointing trip to Norwalk and a triple-overtime thriller at Perkins, the Tygers came home and had it easy for once. They dominated Westerville North to the tune of a 31-21 win that seemed more lopsided than it was. This week, the Tygers travel to West Holmes, which is enjoying a nice 3-0 start to its season. Armon Huguely announced himself with a 68-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last week and could be the difference maker again. Angelo Grose did it all and TaVion Harris found the endzone three times last week. The Tygers have the momentum, now just need to keep it on this road trip.

Shelby (3-0) at Bellevue (0-3)

The Whippets ended their rivalry with Willard with a 63-0 drubbing. Now, the Whippets travel to another old rival in Bellevue. The Redmen are having a shocking start to the season at 0-3, but an 0-3 Bellevue team is better than most around the area. McGwire Albert collected six touchdowns last week and Owen Fisher added three on the ground in a nice bounce-back game after being shutdown at Lexington in Week 2. The Whippets' weeks 1-4 opponents are a combined 2-8. It will be interesting to see how the Whippets handle a road trip to Bellevue.

Marion Harding (1-2) at Ontario (2-1)

The Ontario Warriors picked up a great upset win at Black River last week that saw the defense step up in a huge way, holding the Pirates to just six points while adding a 50-yard interception return for a score courtesy of Owen Hatfield. The youngster has established himself as a great talent as a sophomore. The Warriors will need him to continue to make plays on both sides of the ball this week. Marion Harding has losses to Newark and Johnathan Alder while beating Mount Vernon. The Presidents are very up-and-down, so if the Warriors can secure a decent lead early, they could have another successful week.

Lucas (2-1) at Troy Christian (3-0)

The Lucas Cubs are looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Northmor last week. The 36-16 loss was a bit of a surprise, so expect the Cubs to take the trip to an undefeated Troy Christian with a business-trip mentality. The Cubs still have playoffs on their minds and a win against an undefeated team could propel them up in the rankings as they currently sit in sixth in Division VII Region 27. Jeb Grover has been a work horse in the early season, so expect him to have a huge game on Friday night.

Mount Vernon (2-1) at Lexington (0-3)

The Minutemen are the last remaining team without a win in Richland County. Mount Vernon is very beatable and the Minutemen have the defense to pull off the upset. As you saw, MV lost to Harding in Week 1, but the Yellow Jackets bounced back with wins over Newark and Buckeye Valley. This one kicks off Ohio Cardinal Conference play, so expect it to have plenty of emotion. Cade Stover went over 100-yards rushing last week while Jake Depperschmidt had a decent day throwing the ball. Alex Green returned a kickoff 93 yards for a score so the Minutemen are finding the endzone in many ways. Once the offense and defense start clicking together, the Minutemen will no longer be winless.

Wooster (1-2) at Madison (1-2)

The Madison Rams may have had the biggest party last Friday with a 40-0 win over Akron North, bringing an end to a 19-game losing streak dating back to 2016. It was head coach Dave Stupka's first at the helm of Madison and hopefully many more are to follow. The Rams open up MCC play hosting Wooster in Week 4. Wooster split the OCC title with Ashland and Mansfield Senior last year, but the Generals have suffered two straight losses. If the Rams can control the tempo of the game and score early, there could be an upset brewing and an end to an OCC losing streak.

Pleasant (3-0) at Galion (3-0)

This is the second big MOAC game of the week as undefeated Galion hosts undefeated Pleasant in Week 4. Quarterback Elias Middleton was unbelievable last week with 372 yards of offense after going 10-of-14 passing for 185 yards and a score, and carrying the ball 14 times for 187 yards and four scores in a win over Upper Sandusky. Pleasant is averaging more than 40 points a game and giving up less than seven a night. The Tigers are off to a fast start much like last season which saw them finish 5-5. They are hoping with a win in Week 4, 2018 is their year.

Firelands (2-1) at Ashland (2-1)

The Ashland Arrows suffered a major upset at the hands of Tiffin Columbian last week and are expected to take their frustrations out on Firelands in Week 4. Returning home, the Arrows offense should get back on track while the defense works out the kinks. Ashland doesn't open up OCC play just yet which may be a positive so the Arrows can fix a few things before starting a rough road to an OCC title.

Plymouth (2-1) at South Central (3-0)

The Big Red got everyone involved in Week 4 in a blowout win over Buckeye Central that saw nine Plymouth players carry the football. They open up Firelands Conference play traveling to South Central, which is undefeated in the early season and enjoying possibly the best start in school history. The Trojans knocked off Willard earlier in the season while Plymouth lost to the Flashes in a stunner. Not only does this establish FC bragging rights for a year, but the battle for the Richland/Huron county border heats up.

Western Reserve (0-3) at Crestview (1-2)

The Crestview Cougars were hoping for a better record heading into Firelands Conference play, but their 1-2 record is what it is. Western Reserve comes to town in rebuild mode with an 0-3 record and the Cougars expect to get things rolling again as they search for the elusive FC title.